In Search of Ice Age Americans [Hardcover]

Kenneth Tankersley (Author), Douglas Preston (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

This behind-the-scenes look at the search, discovery, and examination of Ice Age sites and artifacts reveals the real stories behind America's most important archaeological discoveries--and the teenagers, cowboys, and farmers who made them.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In this dramatic reconstruction of the daily lives of the earliest Americans, a leading anthropologist tells how people survived the Ice Age and forever altered the course of human history. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork around the world, Kenneth Tankersley takes readers on an exciting journey into America's most ancient human past--traveling from the deep recesses of underground caverns in the East to the mountains and deserts of the West--providing a behind-the-scenes look at the search, discovery, and examination of Ice Age sites and artifacts. Based on a unique mix of achaeology, anthropology, and history, In Search of Ice Age Americans provides the most up-to-date answers to fundamental questions: Who were the first Americans? Where did they come from? When did they arrive? In Search of Ice Age Americans takes the reader on the archaeological expeditions, from the pioneer days of Daniel Boone in the dense woodlands of Kentucky to a modern-day adventure in the great expanse of Wyoming's High Plains. It is a story that is told from the oral traditions of American Indians, the diaries of Early European explorers, and the journals of America's founding fathers. From the halls of Thomas Jefferson's White House to the ivory towers of today's academia, this book reveals the role politics has played in the search for Ice Age Americans. It is a story plagued by frauds, hoaxes, and professional jealousies, but also rife with heroic victories of perseverant amateurs. This is the first book that tells the real stories behind America's most important archaeological discoveries: It has always been everyday Americans--such as teenagers, cowboys, and farmers--who made them.

From the Back Cover

This behind-the-scenes look at the search, discovery, and examination of Ice Age sites and artifacts reveals the real stories behind America's most important archaeological discoveries--and the teenagers, cowboys, and farmers who made them.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith; 1 edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586850210
• ISBN-13: 978-1586850210
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading for an introduction into Ice Age Americans. . ., January 3, 2004

By 

LEE (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: In Search of Ice Age Americans (Hardcover)

This book is way too basic for anyone who has any experience in archeology. That being said, it was the perfect book for me. I was able to read the entire book sitting around a swimming pool over two short days during summer vacation.

To Tankersley's credit, he wrote a book that's easy to read and understand, i.e., it didn't put me to sleep. It also didn't answer all my questions about the origin of ice age americans. Perhaps that's what I appreciate about this book, it got me thinking and wanting to know more, especially about the discovery of ice age americans in South America and the Kennewick man.

In his book, Tankersley addresses the problem that plaques museum and private collections, i.e., fake artifacts. I found it interesting how difficult it is to detect fakes. It reminded me of a trip through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area. At nights around the campfire, the guides would chip rocks to make arrowheads. They would then scatter the newly made arrowheads for unsuspecting guests to find. Of course, the guides would "guide" them to their discovery and in turn would get a bigger tip at the end of the trip.

The one thing that I would have really liked to have included in the book is a graph or timeline on when ice age americans lived compared to other significant events.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad, But Not Too Informative, December 16, 2003

By 

Chris Moore (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Search of Ice Age Americans (Hardcover)

It's true that "In Search of Ice Age Americans" is a fascinating tale of the history of first Americans research and of the joys and difficulties that go into the search for the elusive Paleoamerican cultures that first inhabited this continent so many thousands of years ago. If you want a joyful read with beautiful color photographs of Paleoamerican artifacts, then this book is for you.

Unfortunately, "In Search of Ice Age Americans" provides little new insight into the quest for the first Americans. It is true that this is difficult with so many books being published on this topic, but that leads me to the question, "What's the point of one more?" If you're just in it for fun, therefore, this book is a nice, well-written read. If you're a student of archeology looking for fresh, new insight into this topic, look somewhere else!

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Search of Ice Age Americans, September 4, 2003

By 

"caveturtle" (Birmingham, Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Search of Ice Age Americans (Hardcover)

Tankersely did a fantastic job with this book. It is informative and entertaining, and very easy to read for the layperson. I am an archaeologist fascinated with early Americans and the Ice Age and couldn't put this book down for two nights!
This book covers Dr. T.'s experiences and adventures in the field, the pitfalls of studying the Clovis/ Folsom people, fraud associated with the "black market" sales of early stone tools, and even comments on lay archaeologists contributions to the field. The photographs are beautiful and if you don't fall in love with the early inhabitants of the Americas well... you will! I enjoyed it so much that I actually sat down and wrote him a note to thank him- I have never done anything like that before. I sometimes loan my books to close friends but this one will never leave my bookshelf- no way!
If you buy only one book on the peopling of the Americas, buy this book.